Simon Oldridge

Simon Oldridge

@sioldridge.bsky.social

Cofounder National Emergency Briefing on the climate & nature crisis www.nebriefing.org | Science communicator | former manufacturing CEO & business consultant | Moog 🎹

14.7K followers1.2K following2K posts

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Simon Oldridge
@sioldridge.bsky.social

Dear @andyburnham.bsky.social The worsening climate & nature crisis lies behind just about every other challenge. Its solutions also happen to be great for jobs and prosperity. Delivering a Covid-style televised briefing will unlock the wartime-scale action needed. #NationalEmergencyBriefing

National Emergency Briefing@nebriefing.bsky.social

We’re calling on government to stage a prime-time televised emergency briefing on the climate & nature crisis. Introduced by the Prime Minister to signal utmost seriousness, and delivered by independent experts. It’s time for a moonshot-scale mission to protect the public & improve lives. #PEBUK

nebriefing.orgNational Emergency BriefingCore principles that a government-led briefing should follow to ensure maximum effect
Simon Oldridge
@sioldridge.bsky.social

The UK gov was able to approve #Jackdaw because UK targets are woefully outdated. The current ‘Carbon Budget’ was set 15 years ago back when 2°C of warming was considered ‘safe’. It wasn’t tightened as the threat picture worsened due to concerns about public acceptance.

Simon Oldridge
@sioldridge.bsky.social

How do I know that’s the reason? I raised this in a meeting with the Climate Change Committee in 2022. They acknowledged the 4th and 5th carbon budgets should logically have been tightened, but said it wasn’t doable. This is why the public needs to be briefed.

Simon Oldridge
@sioldridge.bsky.social

High energy prices can be tackled with business-as-usual thinking, or with bold, long-term thinking. In approving #Jackdaw, the UK government has chosen the former. 🧵1/5

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Simon Oldridge
@sioldridge.bsky.social

Option 1 keeps vested interests happy, avoids confronting failing business-as-usual or major investment. Option 2 is the route to national renewal, but it needs up-front investment, vision and courage - and public buy-in, starting with an emergency briefing to the nation. www.nebriefing.org 4/5

nebriefing.orgNational Emergency Briefing on climate & natureNational Emergency Briefing | The UK’s leading climate and nature experts brief MP's on the risks, impacts and solutions to the climate emergency
Simon Oldridge
@sioldridge.bsky.social

That needs government to explain why, in a briefing to the nation. The briefing would set out the cost of failing on climate and nature against the payback from leaving fossil fuels. The solutions aren’t rocket science. What’s missing is politicians with the courage and vision to pursue them.

Simon Oldridge
@sioldridge.bsky.social

High energy prices can be tackled with business-as-usual thinking, or with bold, long-term thinking. In approving #Jackdaw, the UK government has chosen the former. 🧵1/5

Simon Oldridge
@sioldridge.bsky.social

Option 1: Treat it as a supply problem. But over its lifetime Jackdaw will supply about 2% of UK gas demand, nowhere near enough to move bills. It just adds fuel to the climate fire, and tells the world that even a supposed “climate leader” can keep drilling. 2/5

Simon Oldridge
@sioldridge.bsky.social

Option 2: Treat it as a demand problem, with an emergency programme to get the UK off gas: ✅ Insulation and heat pumps for homes ✅ Faster renewables rollout ✅ Fewer SUVs, more public transport and active travel 3/5

Simon Oldridge reposted

National Emergency Briefing
@nebriefing.bsky.social

Attlee and Roosevelt turned national crises into national renewal. @andyburnham.bsky.social can do the same, but it starts with honesty about the climate and nature crisis. Here’s why… www.nebriefing.org/open-letter-... It’s #TimeToStepUp #NationalEmergencyBriefing

nebriefing.orgNational Emergency BriefingAn unfiltered assessment of the latest threats to UK food supply, health and national security from nine leading experts to an invitation-only audience - also covering positive solutions.

Simon Oldridge reposted

Prof Bill McGuire
@profbillmcguire.bsky.social

Truly mind-boggling and very scary The 1997-98 El Nino resulted in a global economic hit of $5.7 trillion When we look back on the current hyper El Nino, don't be surprised if there is not much change out of $20 trillion

Simon Oldridge reposted

National Emergency Briefing
@nebriefing.bsky.social

This weekend we passed an incredible 5,000 screenings on the map. Tens of thousands of people coming together to do the job the government ought to be doing We CAN rise to this challenge, but first we need leaders with the courage to face it. It’s #TimeToStepUp #NationalEmergencyBriefing

Simon Oldridge reposted

Doug Parr
@dougparr.bsky.social

That's a very high proportion of people who find out what the real state of play is with climate change, who then think "Christ we should really do something about that" www.theguardian.com/environment/...

theguardian.comBritons kept in dark about scale of climate crisis, say viewers of ‘first-of-its-kind’ emergency briefingNine out of 10 people felt motivated to act after watching film outlining threats to food security, economy and public health

Simon Oldridge reposted

National Emergency Briefing
@nebriefing.bsky.social

📣 The first screening of the People's Emergency Briefing in a national parliament! The film was shown at Holyrood last night. Grateful to First Minister John Swinney for committing to helping ensure it is “shared and understood very widely within Scotland”. #TimeToStepUp #NationalEmergencyBriefing

Simon Oldridge reposted

National Emergency Briefing
@nebriefing.bsky.social

At the Labour conference? NEB cofounder @sioldridge.bsky.social will introduce an abridged version of the People's Emergency Briefing Monday at 5pm. With a panel discussion on how the film can act as a catalyst for the emergency action needed. #PEBuk #NationalEmergencyBriefing It's #TimeToStepUp

Simon Oldridge reposted

Simon Oldridge
@sioldridge.bsky.social

It’s extraordinary that as we breach 1.5° - which only in 2018, the IPCC said wouldn’t be reached until 2040 - that the PM is still holding up net zero by 2050 as an adequate response!

 The threat level has changed dramatically since the UK adopted its NZ by 2050 aim. Just a few examples: 🧵

Simon Oldridge reposted

West Country Voices
@westcountryvoices.bsky.social

From the co-founder of the @nebriefing.bsky.social , @sioldridge.bsky.social : @labouruk.bsky.social we need so much more from Andy Burnham. westcountryvoices.co.uk/climate-chan...

westcountryvoices.co.ukClimate change is an escalating physical threat for every one of us: time for government to step up - West Country VoicesIt’s extraordinary that as we breach 1.5° – which only in 2018, the IPCC said wouldn’t be reached until 2040 – the PM is still holding up net zero by 2050 as an adequate response! I get it that the PM...
Simon Oldridge
@sioldridge.bsky.social

It’s extraordinary that as we breach 1.5° - which only in 2018, the IPCC said wouldn’t be reached until 2040 - that the PM is still holding up net zero by 2050 as an adequate response!

 The threat level has changed dramatically since the UK adopted its NZ by 2050 aim. Just a few examples: 🧵

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Simon Oldridge
@sioldridge.bsky.social

3️⃣ Meanwhile global emissions have continued rising, meaning action now has to be much more urgent to compensate - CO₂ emissions are cumulative!

 The carbon budget for 1.5°C is pretty much gone, and the carbon budget for even 2°C is running out fast. (chart a bit outdated by you get the idea)

Simon Oldridge
@sioldridge.bsky.social

It really is alarming that the government shows no acknowledgment of this dramatically evolving threat picture. The National Emergency Briefing experts stand ready to brief the PM and his team privately, including a viewing of the People’s Emergency Briefing film. #NationalEmergencyBriefing

Simon Oldridge
@sioldridge.bsky.social

It’s extraordinary that as we breach 1.5° - which only in 2018, the IPCC said wouldn’t be reached until 2040 - that the PM is still holding up net zero by 2050 as an adequate response!

 The threat level has changed dramatically since the UK adopted its NZ by 2050 aim. Just a few examples: 🧵

Simon Oldridge reposted

Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO)
@corporateeurope.org

Heard about new fossil gas plants being built to power AI data centres? Maybe some PR about their emissions being captured & stored? Tip: Don't fall for empty promises from companies that produce+sell gas, that a technology they’ve been failing to deliver for decades, will soon make gas “clean” ⬇️

Simon Oldridge reposted

Kevin Anderson
@kevinclimate.bsky.social

Emit today & fix it tomorrow. Proposal by Loo/Allen/etc for new N.Sea oil & gas developments to be conditional on fossil-fuel execs promising to neutralise emissions thro' future CCS & “engineered removals”. static1.squarespace.com/static/6356a... My response: climateuncensored.com/response-to-...

climateuncensored.comResponse to Open Letter to DESNZ about Rosebank & Jackdaw - Climate UncensoredResponse to a letter from Stephanie Loo, Myles Allen & colleagues to the DESNZ Secretary of State about offsetting continued fossil fuel production with

Simon Oldridge reposted

Campaign against Climate Change
@campaigncc.bsky.social

Allowing Rosebank/Jackdaw with promises of CCS later is a trap, as @kevinclimate.bsky.social points out: - CCS is unproven at anything like the required scale. - We should invest in cutting fossil fuel use, not prolonging it. - Every year of delay makes the required emissions cuts steeper.

climateuncensored.comResponse to Open Letter to DESNZ about Rosebank & Jackdaw - Climate UncensoredResponse to a letter from Stephanie Loo, Myles Allen & colleagues to the DESNZ Secretary of State about offsetting continued fossil fuel production with
Simon Oldridge
@sioldridge.bsky.social

This is very worrying. The idea that carbon capture can compensate for #Rosebank emissions suits the oil industry and must sound appealing to Gov. But it’s total BS for a number of reasons. Please read and share Andrew Boswell’s explanation below. 🙏o

#CarbonReckoning (Andrew Boswell)@drandrewboswell.bsky.social

🧵1/ Very grateful to @graceblakeley.substack.com for this guest blog on how promoters of carbon capture and storage (CCS) are trying to give Andy #Burnham a deceptively neat-looking get-out-of-jail-free card to drill Rosebank and Jackdaw. This thread explains its flawed carbon accounting

Simon Oldridge reposted

National Emergency Briefing
@nebriefing.bsky.social

The first job of government is to keep the public safe. That means levelling with the public about the threats from climate change & nature loss. Does your MP support a televised emergency briefing? Enter postcode: www.nebriefing.org/parliamentar... It's #TimeToStepUp #NationalEmergencyBriefing

nebriefing.orgCheck here to see if your MP has signedFor MPs and Peers to express support for briefing the nation on the threats from climate & nature breakdown to the UK’s security, food supply, health and economy.

Simon Oldridge reposted

National Emergency Briefing
@nebriefing.bsky.social

145 MPs now call on gov to level with the public about the threats from climate change and nature loss and the benefits from genuine emergency action. Is your MP on the list? Enter postcode see: www.nebriefing.org/parliamentar... It’s #TimeToStepUp #NationalEmergencyBriefing

nebriefing.orgCheck here to see if your MP has signedFor MPs and Peers to express support for briefing the nation on the threats from climate & nature breakdown to the UK’s security, food supply, health and economy.

Simon Oldridge reposted

Campaign against Climate Change
@campaigncc.bsky.social

Very concerning - @ippr.org seem to be advocating that the government approve Rosebank and Jackdaw oil fields on the condition that the oil companies promise to invest in carbon capture. Even IF these CCS facilities actually materialised, they would account for a small fraction of emissions.

Sam Alvis@samalvis.bsky.social

The new government has a knotty problem on energy. It needs fiscal space to help billpayers, it want's new infrastructure to underpin the industrial strategy, and it will need decide on Rosebank/Jackdaw In a new piece for @ippr.org Stephanie Loo and I work through a potential part of the solution..

Simon Oldridge reposted

John Vaillant
@johnvaillant.bsky.social

Replying to @davidho.bsky.social

Memo to capitalists: Climate risk makes things un-insurable. No insurance makes things un-mortgageable. No mortgages crashes the property markets. Crashed property markets trash the economy. - US Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), 2024